Luke 9:22-25

Jesus said to his disciples:
“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Then he said to all,
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?”

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Jesus does not make it easy for His followers.  He tells us how He must suffer and die before He will be raised again.  Then He asks us, His disciples (followers), to follow His lead.

This does not sound attractive to modern ears.  Everything Jesus tells us goes directly against our culture:

1)     Deny yourself – our world tells us to get all you can out of life.  If you can afford it, buy it.  If you can’t afford it, charge it.  If you want it, get it.  But Jesus tells us to deny ourselves.  Try doing this during Lent.  When you feel the urge for something, try to deny yourself as a sacrifice for the Lord.  Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t eat.  We have certain basic human needs.  But do we need everything that we have?

2)    Take up your cross daily – This is not just an occasional cross, but it is a daily cross.  What forms do these crosses take?  Sometimes it is physical suffering.  Sometimes it is a person at work or school that makes life difficult.  Sometimes it is persecution for our beliefs.

3)    If we want to save this life, lose it – we are called to pour out our love and our lives for others.  If we cling to our lives, it will die.  This is the wonderful paradox of faith – the more we give ourselves away in love, the more we receive in return. We can never outdo God in generosity.

Jesus is very clear that this life is not about material wealth.   Often we lose ourselves in the process of gaining material wealth.  And when we deny ourselves of certain pleasures or things, it actually can lead to freedom and joy.  Really all we need is Jesus alone.  And when we seek Him alone, amazingly other things are given to us.  That is how God works.  Give it away and be ready to receive more – not for yourself – but to keep giving it away.

Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

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Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms,
do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you,
they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room,
close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast,
do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast,
anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

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Can you believe that it is Ash Wednesday already?  It is a new beginning for each of us as we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ.  Don’t allow this Lenten season to go by as just another time of the year.  Make it a time of personal renewal.

Our world is in need of saints.  Our society has become so secular and materialistic.  Some people are trying to take God out of everything and to take away religious freedom, the basic right upon which our country was founded.  If we don’t wake up, all of the things that we hold dear as Catholic Christians will be taken away.

If someone attacks a person that you love, you are going to fight back, right? How do we feel when someone attacks Jesus Christ or the Church that He founded?  If we love the Lord and His Church, we should be ready to take a stand.  That is what saints have done throughout the ages.  And today the Lord is asking us to take a stand.

How does the Church ask us to use this Lenten season as a time of spiritual renewal?

1)     Prayer – take time each day to communicate with the Lord.  Speak to Him from your heart. Take silent time to listen to Him as well.

2)    Fasting – discipline your passions by turning away from something that tempts you.  When we are faithful in small disciplines, we will be faithful when large temptations come our way.

3)    Almsgiving – share the goods that the Lord has given you with those who are less fortunate.  Everything we have and are comes from the Lord.

Let’s make this time of Lent a time to grow in holiness as we move toward being saints!

Peace,

Fr. Burke

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I would like to invite you to a Parish Mission that I will be giving at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish (8404 Cass Ave.) in Darien February 19, 20 & 21, 2012.

The Mission talks will start at 7pm each evening and will last approximately one hour.

February 19 – 7pm – “How to Fall in Love” – I will discuss the importance of falling in love with Jesus. The dynamics are much like falling in love with another human being.

February 20 – 7pm – “How to Stay in Love” – What do we need to do to stay in love with theLord? This will have an impact on our prayer life as well a our marriages and friendships.

February 21 – 7pm – “The Love Will Decide Everything” – Once we form an intimate relationship with Jesus, it will inform every decision and impact every interaction.

Please come and bring a friend!

peace,

Fr. Burke

James 2:14-24, 26

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
You believe that God is one.
You do well.
Even the demons believe that and tremble.
Do you want proof, you ignoramus,
that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works
when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
You see that faith was active along with his works,
and faith was completed by the works.
Thus the Scripture was fulfilled that says,
Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,
and he was called the friend of God.
See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
For just as a body without a spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead.

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If you have a chance, read the entire book of James this week.  It is full of gems.  And if we look at the Acts of the Apostles, we see that James held a prominent position in the early Church along with Peter.  So what he says is very important.

This is a passage that Catholics use to dispute the idea of sola fide – that we are saved by faith alone.  We believe that salvation comes through faith, but this faith must be animated by our good works.  We do not teach that we are saved by our works – that is Pelagianism.  We are saved by faith and works.

St. James makes it clear in this passage that faith is dead if there are no good works accompanying it.  What good is our faith if we turn our backs on the people in need around us?  Listen to the language St. James uses?  He is very strong, probably in response to an argument that continues to this day.  He even goes to the point of using the analogy – just as the body is dead without a spirit, so is faith dead without works.

Jesus summed up the Commandments with one word – LOVE.  Love is an action, not just a feeling or state.  Love is laying down your life for another person. That is a good work that stems from an active, lively faith in the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is not in heaven keeping a “good list” and “bad list” for each one of us.  He is aware of all that we do, but forgives us completely if we ask for His mercy.  And His mercy is immense.  But there are consequences to sin that are not confessed.  The important part of salvation is to place our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the World.  This is the way that we love God. 

Then our faith needs to pour forth in good works.  We need to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves.  Otherwise our faith is dead.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ?

Are you developing a deep relationship with Jesus, who is alive and well today?

Do you try to save yourself by good works?

Or do you place your faith in Jesus and allow that deep faith to pour forth in good works?

Have a blesse day.  Jesus wants to save you.  He wants to have a deep, personal relationship with you.  Are you nurturing that relationship?

Fr. Burke

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James 2:1-9

My brothers, do not let class distinction enter into your faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord.

Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, well-dressed and with a gold ring on, and at the same time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes, and you take notice of the well-dressed man, and say, ‘Come this way to the best seats’; then you tell the poor man, ‘Stand over there’ or ‘You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.’

In making this distinction among yourselves have you not used a corrupt standard?

Listen, my dear brothers: it was those who were poor according to the world that God chose, to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.

You, on the other hand, have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who lord it over you?

Are not they the ones who drag you into court, who insult the honorable name which has been pronounced over you?

Well, the right thing to do is to keep the supreme Law of scripture: you will love your neighbor as yourself; but as soon as you make class distinctions, you are committing sin and under condemnation for breaking the Law.

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I have a friend who entered a high-class store one day.  He does well financially and usually dresses casually in jeans.  As he entered the store, the employee of the store looked down her nose through her glasses at this casually-dressed man.  She didn’t know that he could afford anything in that store.  She was only focused on the fact that he wasn’t dressed like most customers, in a three-piece suit.  She did not treat my friend well, thinking he was some poor man who was out of place in this high-end store.  She missed out on a sale because of how she judged his appearance.

This story is an example of the danger of judging a book by its cover.  Have you ever done that?  Have you ever judged someone by the clothes they wear, the color of their skin, the accent in their voice, their age, etc.?

In the first reading today from James, we are warned against judging someone by their appearance.  Not only are we not to judge by appearance, but we are to look for Jesus in the poor.

Take time today to look for Jesus in the most humble person you meet today.  Seek Him in the children.  Seek Him in the poor.  Seek Him in the homeless. Seek Him in the person at the office that is most marginalized. Seek Him in the person at school that everyone makes fun of.

Jesus made no class distinctions.  He calls us to LOVE everyone, no matter what they look like.  Do I just others by their appearance?  Do I take time to really get to know the person in front of me?  You might be surprised where you find Jesus today…

Peace,

Fr. Burke

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Mark 8:22-26

When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,
people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
“Do you see anything?”
Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”
Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”

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Today we have another story of Jesus’ healing power.  It is important to note that “people brought” the blind man to Jesus.  This is similar to the Gospel for this upcoming Sunday in which 4 men bring their paralytic friend to Jesus.  Have I brought anyone to Jesus lately? 

Jesus took the blind man outside the village to be healed.  Why is that?  Was He avoiding the crowds in the city?  Whatever reason it was, Jesus used tangible things like spittle and laying hands on the man to heal him.  Our Sacraments use tangible things as well – oil, bread, wine, laying on of hands – to impart the healing power of Jesus.  Have you come to Jesus in the Sacraments lately for healing?  Do you see the healing power of Jesus in the Sacraments?

Why was this man not instantly healed?  Was Jesus not capable of healing him instantly?  Of course, Jesus can do anything.  I like to think that this is a story of awakening faith.  As we get to know Jesus and our faith increases, we begin to see things more clearly.  Blindness and sight always have deeper meanings in Scripture.  Think about  your own faith life…  Have you noticed how you see things more clearly as your relationship with Jesus deepens?  Has your faith in Jesus’ power grown through the years?

Let us pray today about bringing a friend to Jesus?  Who needs His healing?  Who needs to be touched by Him today?

Let us also consider going to Mass more often.  If you go on Sundays, try going once more during the week.  Consider going to Confession, especially as Lent is coming next week.  Seek Jesus.  He is ready to touch you and heal you of all your illnesses, doubts and fears.  He wants you to see clearly.

Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

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Mark 8:14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

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Happy Valentine’s Day to all.  And happy feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. 

The poor disciples in the Gospel of Mark often do not understand what Jesus was telling them.  You can hear the exasperation in Jesus’ voice.  “Do you still not understand?”

Jesus warns the disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.  They thought Jesus was talking about bread, but He was referring to something much deeper.  They were hearing, but not listening.  They were looking, but didn’t see anything.  How often do we do the same?  Jesus was trying to get them to look deeper. 

Jesus was warning them against how the Pharisees preached one thing and practiced another.  They would lay heavy burdens upon the backs of others, but would not be willing to lift a finger themselves.  They would lord their power over others.  Jesus would tell the disciples, “It shall not be that way with you.”

Jesus was mentoring the disciples to be men of integrity, faith and humility. 

Integrity – we are called to practice what we preach.  Our words should not be empty.  Our actions should back up what we are preaching.  The Pharisees were hypocrites, according to Jesus; disciples are people of integrity.  What we say is what we do.

Faith – we are called to believe in Jesus  as the Son of God and savior of the world.  We are to trust that miracles can happen through Him – that five thousand can be fed with a few loaves of bread.  Nothing is impossible with God.  The Pharisees believed in the power of the Law; disciples believe in the power of the person, Jesus Christ.

Humility – we are called to take the lowest seat.  We are called to serve the needs of others.  We are never to consider ourselves better than anyone else.  The Pharisees elevated themselves by fancy clothing and high-sounding preaching; disciples preach the truth in love while living a life of Gospel simplicity.

May we be people of integrity, faith and humility.  Do we have Pharisees today?  Absolutely.  Do not let yourselves be carried away by our culture.  Our faith often flies directly opposed to the popular culture.  Stand up for Jesus and the values He has taught us.

God bless,

Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

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Mark 7:31-37

Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

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Today we have another healing story.  I hope that we sense in our hearts that Jesus wants us to be healed, to be free from everything that binds us.  Take time today to think about the wounds in your life.  We all have them.  Others have hurt us, betrayed our trust, made fun of us, turned their backs on us…

The Lord does not want us to remain in this pain.  Whenever we do not bring our wounds to Jesus for healing, the wounds fill with anger, resentment, imprisonment and slavery.  However, when we offer these wounds to Jesus for healing, we find relief, joy, freedom and peace.   Which of these do we want?  It is obvious that all want healing.  So how do we do it?

We need to follow the example of these men and women in the Gospels. 

1)      They went to Jesus, the source of all healing.

2)     They had faith that Jesus could do ANYTHING.

3)     They asked Jesus specifically for healing.  They told them what they were looking for from Him.

4)     They trusted Jesus. 

5)     Often Jesus touched them physically.  This is the power of the Sacraments today – Jesus touches us through the Eucharist, Confession, Anointing of the Sick.  These are all healing Sacraments.  Jesus is alive today in these Sacraments.  Ask His to heal you when you receive Communion, go to Confession or receive the Anointing of the Sick.

Where do you need healing?  Do you believe that Jesus can heal you?  Ask Him in prayer to fill the void in your heart.  Ask Him to touch you in the Sacraments.  Seek Him.  Ask.  Knock.  Trust.

Jesus always wants to heal and love.  Don’t try to carry the burden alone. 

Have a blessed day,

Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

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Mark 7:24-30

Jesus went to the district of Tyre.
He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,
but he could not escape notice.
Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.
She came and fell at his feet.
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,
and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.
For it is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She replied and said to him,
“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.
The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed
and the demon gone.

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Thanks for your patience while I was out of town for about three weeks.  I was in Mexico for about 10 days talking to some possible seminarians.  Then I went on a wonderful 5-day silent retreat, followed by 5 days of vacation with my Dad and step-mom in Estero, FL.  Now I’m back in Joliet ready to get back to ministry.

The retreat was full of grace as we were invited to grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus.  And that is exactly what happened.  The realization that I am a beloved son of God grew deeper on this retreat.  And as that relationship grows deeper, my desire to share His Good News with everyone grows stronger.  I’m sure you will hear parts of the retreat come out during my reflections on the readings.

Today I had to laugh as I read the Gospel.  First, Jesus entered the house hoping that He would go unnoticed.  Well, He had become a sort of rock star and everyone wanted a piece of Him.  People followed Him wherever He went, even a Greek woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit, approached Jesus.  You can imagine her hope that Jesus would be the one who could deliver her daughter from this demon.  Any mother would go to great lengths to heal her daughter.  She was willing to risk approaching this Jewish man, which was not acceptable to do, for healing.

Jesus’ first response to the woman seems very harsh.  He tells her that He has come for the Jewish people, not for the Gentiles (or the dogs).  But she does not let up.  She wants healing for her daughter and she shows Jesus how much faith she has.  Jesus is struck by her faith and heals her daughter.

What can we learn from this reading?

1)      Jesus was human and divine.  He wanted some down time, some time alone.  He needed to be refreshed.    He was divine because He healed the woman’s daughter.

2)     Faith is important to Jesus.  When we read many of the healing stories in Scripture, Jesus looks for faith.  Do I believe that Jesus can do anything?  Do I seek Jesus for everything in my life – healing, love, mercy, unconditional love?

Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

Mark 2:23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

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“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.”  What does the sabbath mean to you?  How do you observe the sabbath?

I remember when I was young, Sunday was just another day of the week.  We didn’t go to church.  We didn’t even think about God.  It was another day to work, play or watch sports on TV.

As I grow older I realize what a gift the sabbath is to us.  Even God rested on the 7^th day after creating the world.  Do we take a day of rest for the Lord and to be with family and friends?  Or do we use it as another day to work, to shop, to keep busy?

Try the following to make holy the sabbath day for the Lord:

1)     Go to church with your family every Sunday (more often if possible)

2)    Don’t do any work on Sunday.

3)    Take time just to relax and enjoy the company of your family and friends.

4)    Don’t shop.  Think about the people who have to work at malls and gas stations because we are out shopping.  If we all avoided shopping on Sunday, no one would have to work (the way it used to be).

God gave us the sabbath as a gift – a day of rest and renewal.  What are you doing with this gift?  Staying busy?  Or truly are you being renewed in body and spirit?

I will be in Mexico from January 17-26 to talk to some possible seminarians to serve in the Diocese of Joliet.  Please pray for safe travels and a blessed mission trip. 

Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

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